John 4:27-54 – Ministry in Samaria

      27At this point His disciples came, and they were amazed that He had been speaking with a woman, yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why do You speak with her?” 28So the woman left her waterpot, and went into the city and said to the men, 29Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is it?” 30They went out of the city, and were coming to Him.

      31Meanwhile the disciples were urging Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” 32But He said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” 33So the disciples were saying to one another, “No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?” 34Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work35“Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest36“Already he who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for life eternal; so that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37“For in this case the saying is true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38“I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored and you have entered into their labor.”

      39From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all the things that I have done.” 40So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. 41Many more believed because of His word; 42and they were saying to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world.”

      43After the two days He went forth from there into Galilee. 44For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. 45So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things that He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they themselves also went to the feast.

      46Therefore He came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a royal official whose son was sick at Capernaum. 47When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and was imploring Him to come down and heal his son; for he was at the point of death. 48So Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe.” 49The royal official said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” 50Jesus said to him, “Go; your son lives.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started off. 51As he was now going down, his slaves met him, saying that his son was living. 52So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. Then they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” 53So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives”; and he himself believed and his whole household. 54This is again a second sign that Jesus performed when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.

Interesting Words
come

deute – come!  come hither, come follow, an exclamatory word.
• Luke 5:27;

Matt 11:28;
• Matt 25:34; Isa 1:18 (LXX)

food

brósis –  eating, food, a meal, rust.
• John 6:27;
• 2Cor 9:10;

work

ergon – work, task, employment; a deed, action; that which is wrought or made, a work.
• John 3:20-21; 2Tim 4:5;
• John 9:3-4; John 17:4; Phil 1:6;

harvest

therismos – (noun) reaping, harvest; the harvest, crop.
• Luke 10:2; Mark 4:29;
• Matt 9:37-38; Matt 13:30;

reap

therizó – (verb) reap, gather, harvest.
• Gal 6:7-8, 9; 2 Cor 9:6;
• Prov 22:8; Rev 14:15, 16;

believe

pisteuó – believe, have faith in, trust in; pass: I am entrusted with.
• Matt 8:13; Acts 4:4;
• Rom 3:22-23; Rom 10:10-11;
• John 5:24; Heb 11:1;

Cross References

• John 4:24
• 1Thes 1:3 
• Titus 2:14
• Ps 69:9
• Isa 37:32

Discussion Questions
Print (ctrl-p) or copy the following to a word processor to enter your answers, then meet with some friends to discuss. You can also compare your answers to mine for a virtual discussion… John 4:27-54 – Ministry in Samaria – Answers

  1. What does the first part of this section tell you about the disciples?  What did they learn?

  2. How did the woman describe her encounter with Jesus to the men of her city?

  3. What would you say is the work of God from this context?

  4. How is this different from the works of the Law?

  5. How does the will of God (John 4:34) fit into this?

  6. What does this section tell you about how far off the mark Israel was in finding the Messiah?

  7. Describe the results of the witness of the woman at the well to her fellow Samaritans?

  8. What does this and the last section tell you about how to be successful at doing God’s works?